While the 2023 Academy Awards are a month past us now, the careers set and memories made of that evening will forever continue forward into the rest of this year and beyond.
One such memory which interested us here was that of entrepreneur Kyle Deever, a man who grew up just outside of Los Angeles and was able to create a $35 million operation that now spans over 6 states with his company Performance Windows. But he couldn’t have done it without an upbringing in Los Angeles (he now lives in Utah), and during the Academy Awards this year he returned back to the region to celebrate his successes alongside his wife and celebrity stars, while also giving back to charity and a community that has made such an impact on his entire life/career.
- Kyle, thank you for sitting with us for this exclusive interview. Let’s jump right into it… You grew up in Los Angeles, so how did it feel coming back to celebrate your successes during the recent Academy Awards?
Honestly, it was amazing. It’s a much different experience going back than growing up there. I am from Northridge, in the San Fernando Valley. Coming back in style and spending a night with the Stars was amazing. It felt like a dream. When I moved away from LA, I was a broke kid trying to find my way in the world. To have moved away and found the financial success that I have and come back and experience the parts of LA that I could have only dreamed of was amazing.
- How did Los Angeles inspire you to be the man you are today both personally and professionally?
If there was one thing I learned while growing up in LA, it was how to hustle. I saw so many people around me grinding to build a better life for themselves. Making it in LA is not for the faint of heart. I had so many mentors while I was growing up that talked about their countless failures before they finally achieved success. The LA grind teaches you resilience. It teaches you how to get hit in the mouth and come back for some more with a smile on your face. Personally, growing up in LA inspired me to stand out from the crowd. I went to High School with thousands of other kids. It would be so easy to just become a face lost in the crowd. I knew that I had to do everything I could to separate myself. I remember when I was a 17 year old kid, my best friend and I bought tickets to go see Kobe at the Staples Center. We spent every dime we had to buy tickets in the nosebleed section and at halftime we snuck down to the lower bowl and got to watch the entire second half from seats that we could only dream of affording. That night changed my life. Maybe it’s a cliche to say that you were inspired by Kobe but I don’t care. Watching him work, the Mamba Mentality, I knew that I had to fight the same way to achieve my goals. Where else in the world could a kid experience something like that other than LA?!
- You helped support Elton John’s charity during the Academy Awards. What were some highlights from that party-for-a-cause that stood out to you?
That party was so much fun. There were almost too many highlights to count! The celebrities were all so friendly! Some of the coolest ones to meet were Wiz Khalifa, Ke$ha, Smokey Robinson, Tim Allen, and Robert Kraft. The one that took the cake for me was Hilary Duff! She was such a sweetheart and I would be lying if I said I haven’t been crushing on Lizzie McGuire since I was a kid! The other real highlights of the night were watching these stars, including Elton, go up on stage and talk with such passion about such a beautiful cause. It was so apparent that they really did care about what they were talking about and the room was brought to tears at some points. All in all, it was such an incredible event and so well put together.
- What’s coming up for you next with your podcast and companies?
My podcast, Leave it to Deever, has been so much fun. I started it with the intention to just use it as a networking tool. It has since become an avenue for me to meet and talk with some of the most inspiring people I know. As it continues to develop, I have my sights set on some of the world’s most inspiring people in all fields. I have a Mt. Rushmore of guests that I would love to have on, including Conor McGregor, Shaq, Oprah, and others. My companies continue to grow, which has been such a blessing. Performance Windows, my core business, is on track to do $100 million this year and continues to grow to new markets. Bad Bet Productions is growing healthily as we continue to build professional social media content for businesses. I have several other irons in the fire but they are works in progress.
- What is your advice to others wanting to make millions and succeed overall in life as you have?
Too often, people give the advice that you should do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. They are lying to you. The true secret is to get to work. Passion doesn’t precede the work, it follows it. If you put your heart and soul into any project, you will grow to love it. It will become a part of you. I think the problem today is that too many young people have read “Rich Dad, Poor Dad, or watched some video on youtube about passive income and they just adopt that as a mindset and a buzzword. The truth is that the juice is worth the squeeze. I would tell everyone to become the best at whatever it is that they are doing. Do what others won’t so that later you can do what others can’t. I am a gambling man and my entire life has been parlaying one success into the next. Find a mentor who has gotten to a place that you aspire to be and ask them for advice. Then, and this is the hardest part, do it!
- When you come back to LA, where are your favorite places to tour around and go when not busy working?
I am a pretty simple guy and most of my favorite places to hit when I get back are food-related. I simply can’t come back to the valley without stopping by Cupid’s Hot Dogs and Tommy’s Burgers. I don’t know what it is, but the second I touch down, my first stop is always one of those. I also love live sports. Of course I have to hit the Laker games, but I have actually fallen in love with watching King’s games. I didn’t grow up watching hockey but there is just something so cool about being so close to the action. Other than that, my free time is spent catching up with old friends or seeing my family.
- And we have to ask in our final question here, do you think you’ll ever move back to LA or California?
That answer would be an emphatic yes if I didn’t love Utah so much. I love LA for the weather and the fact that there are so many amazing things you can see there. It really is such an incredible state with so many diverse cultures. That is one thing that I miss is how diverse the population is. I grew up with friends from so many different cultures and I got to see and appreciate them. LA is unrivaled in food, sports, and pretty girls!
